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ANNCast Holiday Special 2013: Yankee Swap


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Oneeyedjacks



Joined: 21 Dec 2009
Posts: 307
PostPosted: Mon Dec 23, 2013 8:01 pm Reply with quote
The Liam Neeson Les Misérables Blu-ray has been out for a year now.

It's a great really underrated movie, highly recommend it. Though I've heard from those who've read the book that it does leaves out some important stuff, but what adaptation doesn't.
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drdr48



Joined: 16 Mar 2009
Posts: 360
PostPosted: Mon Dec 23, 2013 8:22 pm Reply with quote
Best anime of the year for me was From the new World.

It has been a long time since an anime made me think and feel the way this anime did.

I can't really tell you what so special about it and what's the story is about because that would be a huge spoiler.

JUST WATCH IT. That's all I'll say.
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Maidenoftheredhand



Joined: 21 Jun 2007
Posts: 2633
PostPosted: Mon Dec 23, 2013 8:37 pm Reply with quote
drdr48 wrote:
Best anime of the year for me was From the new World.


Yes this was also my anime of the year well this and Eccentric Family.

Quote:

The Liam Neeson Les Misérables Blu-ray has been out for a year now.

It's a great really underrated movie, highly recommend it. Though I've heard from those who've read the book that it does leaves out some important stuff, but what adaptation doesn't.


I've heard mixed opinions of it and because I love the book I haven't seen it but I have seen several versions and I think nothing beats this version http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025509/
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Angel M Cazares



Joined: 23 Sep 2010
Posts: 5407
Location: Iscandar
PostPosted: Mon Dec 23, 2013 9:19 pm Reply with quote
I concur, From the New World is a great anime that needs to be appreciated more; though, I consider it more of a 2012 title because it started airing last Fall.

Flowers of Evil, Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet, Monogatari Second Season, Genshiken Second Generation and Gingitsune are the best anime series (overall quality-wise) I watched in 2013. I also have liked what I have seen from Nagi no Asukara so far.
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Megiddo



Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Posts: 8360
Location: IL
PostPosted: Mon Dec 23, 2013 9:25 pm Reply with quote
Definitely Chihayafuru Season 2 is my pick for best of the year.

Then again, there's a thread in the Anime forum where I wrote about that along with other 'bests' of the year.
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Galap
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Joined: 07 Apr 2012
Posts: 2354
PostPosted: Mon Dec 23, 2013 9:48 pm Reply with quote
drdr48 wrote:
Best anime of the year for me was From the new World.


Definitely for me as well. I'd consider it a 2012 show, but it finished in 2013, so yeah.

I'd be pretty surprised if it wasn't my anime of the decade for the 2010s.

I think it's one of the best works of science ficiton in existence, and recommend it to anyone who likes serious science fiction and fantasy.
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Maidenoftheredhand



Joined: 21 Jun 2007
Posts: 2633
PostPosted: Mon Dec 23, 2013 9:54 pm Reply with quote
angelmcazares wrote:
I concur, From the New World is a great anime that needs to be appreciated more; though, I consider it more of a 2012 title because it started airing last Fall.


I used to not count shows that started the previous year either but then I find it hard to judge shows that haven't ended yet. Thus From the New World didn't get its due in 2012 since it was still ongoing so it gets its love in 2013 (and its second half was incredibly strong)

But I guess Eccentric Family is my actual favorite of 2013 since it started and ended this year. Smile

Anyways Chihayafuru Season 2 would be my next favorite. It's 2nd season was definitely not as strong as the first but it still had some incredible highs spoiler[The team winning the High School tournament and Taichi making it to Class A]. It's a crime that no one in the US has licensed this.

And Honorable Mentions: Attack on Titan, Free!, Gingitsune, Kyousogiga & Silver Spoon.
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Redcrimson



Joined: 30 Mar 2013
Posts: 160
PostPosted: Mon Dec 23, 2013 10:02 pm Reply with quote
Another ANNCast? it really is Christmas!
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Lord Geo



Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 2532
Location: North Brunswick, New Jersey
PostPosted: Mon Dec 23, 2013 10:27 pm Reply with quote
I don't know exactly why, but I found it funny when Justin was sad about how he can seemingly never find a comedy that Zac will enjoy... While Zac previously (jokingly) pointed out that Justin doesn't like fun, making it sound like two guys who are picky about "fun/joy" are pointing out how the other is picky about "fun/joy". That's just how I saw it, though.

Anyway, the swap still comes off as a really neat & fun idea, so this was a fun episode overall. I'm all for expanding the swap to involve more people, but I do wonder how many more people you guys would bring in. Personally, I can see four be the absolute most you could work this with without having it become a "Best of the Decade"-length stamina drain. I also wonder who you could bring in to make it work. Mike & Daryl would sound like a natural choice, but it would be neat to see some other people get brought in for the fun.

Still, a fun episode in the end, so Happy Holidays & Happy New Year, Zac & Justin!
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Zhou-BR



Joined: 28 Feb 2008
Posts: 1419
PostPosted: Mon Dec 23, 2013 11:13 pm Reply with quote
While I still haven't seen Watamote, which I intend to rectify soon, I must say Justin's reaction to it is quite similar to my reaction to Stephen Merchant's latest TV show, Hello Ladies. It's supposed to be a comedy, but instead of making me laugh, it mostly just makes me cringe because the main character keeps sabotaging himself over and over by being a delusional a-hole who tries too hard to be something he's not.
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SHODAN93



Joined: 03 Jun 2012
Posts: 37
PostPosted: Mon Dec 23, 2013 11:38 pm Reply with quote
From the New World was anime of the year for me. Eccentric Family is really close, it's almost a tie.
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walw6pK4Alo



Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Posts: 9322
PostPosted: Tue Dec 24, 2013 12:21 am Reply with quote
On anime risks, what if we're already in a post-risk environment? I know you'll never fully have that situation where everything is played safe, but I have to wonder if studios (and production committees) have already been burned enough times that they're just terrified to really try more things like Aku no Hana because they simply can't afford the loss. Luckily that one still had increased manga sales to fall back on, but risky originals can be costly if they fail.

If everyone else is including Shinsekai Yori for 2013, then I get to count Girls und Panzer as my favorite of the year. I haven't gotten around to Uchouten Kazoku, but that looks like something I may very well enjoy. I also really enjoyed Watamote and I'm currently enjoying Arpeggio of Blue Steel, where even the CG really hasn't turned me off at all.

I think you can get something out of Watamote if you've never been in that situation or have really had to deal with others personally who were. You can just be a dick and laugh at her misfortune, or just be generally curious to see where this character goes and how she handles future issues and situations. You don't to fully emotionally empathize to enjoy the series, even someone well adjusted can see minor faults in their own character through the lens of something as bad off as Tomoko.

I'm not very interested in Tokimeki Tonight, but another romance/comedy anime from around that time that desperately needs more subs is the Kabocha Wine. I burned through the 7 subbed episodes and could easily consume more. The lovely main girl character is just so charming and you want to see her more on screen and win over the little whiny kid who doesn't really know how to handle her overbearing affection. It's just fantastic for and early 80s anime when most of them just seemed to drag on and not be that interesting unless they had some real strong gimmick, like Urusei Yatsura. The concept almost seems to fit more with the anime of today, it'd only require a visual facelift and a bit tighter pacing.
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bemused Bohemian



Joined: 09 Jun 2009
Posts: 404
Location: central Mizzou (Moral Oralville)
PostPosted: Tue Dec 24, 2013 1:54 am Reply with quote
Ancient History: my favorite movie version of Les Miserables was the 1995 French version written and directed by Claude Lelouch using the WW2 theatre as a timeline. Having been 1 for over a decade I could personally relate to the storyline where the main character earned a living as a household mover trying to comply with arbitrary authoritarian rules. Never owned the picture but must have watched this version at least ten times before VHS became passe.

The '20's film actress sounds like Lillian Gish. She was blessed with good looks and a very likeable personality both in real life and in front of the camera. She never lost her looks or her graceful personality. I remember watching 1 interview of her late in her life she was emphatic about the risks taken filming the action scenes. Those shots of her skipping across the ice floes in that strong current were real and performed by her rather than a stunt person. According to her the studio had to coax a little to get her to perform that and she did because that was her job. She commented that she was fortunate she was young and much more athletic back then. The danger element of acting was never given the serious thought like today.

Liked Watamote early on but wondered midway through how the anime could become uplifting or redemptive because the manga is still ongoing and quite biting. As you surmised spoiler[the levity diminishs considerably in the last 3 episodes leaving the viewer wanting for answers that are not forthcoming. ]
If there is a follow-up, like you, I sincerely hope she's transported to a 20-something timeline in the form of a movie or OVA where the viewer is able to witness a transition from the minefield of puberty, adolescence, and depression to a reasonably stable phase of adulthood.

Liked Flowers of Evil the best for 2013 with Watamote, and ongoing Kill la KIll running extremely close behind as seconds.
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GATSU



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 15279
PostPosted: Tue Dec 24, 2013 2:45 am Reply with quote
Hey, Perfect Strangers rules! Mad
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kpk



Joined: 05 Apr 2009
Posts: 484
PostPosted: Tue Dec 24, 2013 4:15 am Reply with quote
From the New World was my favorite of the year (and of last year) as well.

It's not just one of the best ANIME shows of the last couple of years, it's one of the best SHOWS of the last couple of years.

Such an amazing show, It really makes you think. I would even call it a life changing experience.

Yes, it's THAT GOOD.
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